December Newsletter

December 23: (1:00 Early Dismissal); Santa visit

December 24-January 4: (District Closed) Winter Recess

January 5: District Open

January 12: (1:00 Early Dismissal) for Staff Professional Development

January 16: School Spirit Day

January 19: (District Closed) Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 23: Creature Comforts visits Westlake School

Z.S. is being recognized for consistently demonstrating kindness and patience throughout the month. They are a hard-working student who approaches their schoolwork with focus and determination. In addition, they have made a wonderful effort to build positive relationships and make new friends, creating a welcoming and supportive classroom environment.

J.K. is our Principal’s Award winner! He is being recognized for working so hard over the past month. Through hard work and a positive attitude, he has shown noticeable growth. Their commitment to doing their best is commendable and sets a great example for others!

T.J. is our Staff of the Month and is being recognized for his kindness and patience in working with the student he supports each day. He consistently creates a fun, engaging environment that helps the student feel comfortable and motivated to learn. His dedication and genuine desire to do what is best for his student truly makes a positive impact.

The Sunshine Cafe would like to announce our December Employee of the Month…. E.K.! We chose him because he comes to school every day ready to work. He is always kind and respectful to everyone around him. He’s always working hard and wants to help in any way he can. He’s an amazing worker and friend to all!

The Sunshine Café was filled with holiday cheer and excitement. The students made adorable snowman sugar cookies decorated with marshmallows, Mini M&Ms, and pretzels. They also created a festive Grinch Refresher featuring a red sugar–rimmed cup and a choice of peppermint or sour apple drink. In between serving customers, the students played Christmas music and enjoyed fun dance parties, spreading joy throughout the café.

Our Work Based Learning students had the opportunity to practice real-world job skills at the Clark Public Library. They assisted with setting up a festive Christmas display and helped clean and organize toys in the children’s section. This experience supported skill development in responsibility, teamwork, and following workplace routines. The students took pride in contributing to a welcoming environment for the community.

December often brings unique challenges, changes in routine, special school events, community outings, and sensory overload. For students with autism and multiple disabilities, predictability and clear communication become even more essential. So, what can we do to help?

Prepare for Changes with Predictable Supports

Unexpected schedule shifts can create anxiety. Use:

• Visual schedules

• “Change” icons

• First/Then boards

• Countdown timers

• Talk about upcoming changes

• Watch videos about what event may be coming

Simple previews like, “After dinner with the family, we will have a special activity,” help maintain security and reduce refusal behaviors.

Support Communication in All Forms

Many students express overwhelm through behavior. Encourage regulated communication by modeling or prompting:

• AAC messages (“Break, help, finished, wait”)

• Gestures

• Coping visuals

Every time a student uses their system instead of escalating, reinforce it:
“Great job telling me you needed space.”

Match Support to the Child’s Regulation Level

Busy environments (assemblies, holiday crafts, class parties) can increase sensory stress. Offer:

• Sensory breaks

• Movement or quiet corners

• Noise-reduction supports

• Step-by-step modeling for tasks

Adjusting expectations based on regulation preserves dignity and independence.

Maintain Calm, Safe Body Language

When a child becomes dysregulated, fewer words and more gentle presence help:

• Provide proximity (get closer)

• Use clear visuals

• Join them in the first step of the task

Your calm body language and modeling communicates safety more strongly than verbal prompting.

December Independence Challenge

Choose one communication or ADL skill to reinforce daily (e.g., requesting help, using a schedule, folding laundry, or asking for a break). Celebrate every attempt!

With Appreciation,
The Westlake Behavior Department

I would first like to thank Mr. Abhay, Ms. Jackie, and Ms. Diana for working so hard this year to support the students to help them reach their highest potential.

This month, classroom W83 has been very busy. In addition to continuing to work hard on our core academics, we have also been working diligently on our vocational tasks. We have been making personalized key chains and one-of-a-kind bookmarks.

• The key chains are leather on a metal ring. The students use a metal stamping kit to engrave a personal message.
• The bookmarks are made from stickers or pressed flowers that are then laminated.

These are for sale all year long and profits will replenish the student funds account.

The students have been engaging in activities and lessons reinforcing our monthly themes of kindness and respect. The students are excited to participate in our holiday-sing-along as well as the holiday sale and then take a well-deserved vacation. We look forward to seeing everyone in the new year.

Mr. Wasserman's class W83

This month, students in W81 have been focusing on the theme of patience and kindness. We have been practicing these values throughout our daily routines, classroom activities, and collaborative projects, learning how kindness can be shown through both words and actions.

In Social Studies, students have been learning about maps and how they help us navigate the world around us. To connect this learning to our monthly theme, the class worked together to create a map of the school that will be displayed for new students, staff, and visitors. This project allowed students to put kindness into action by creating something helpful for others in our school community.

Math lessons have been both hands-on and creative. Students explored patterns by making ABA, ABB, and ABC sequences using fresh fruit skewers, and are exploring geometry through the construction of gingerbread houses. Functional math and financial literacy skills continue to be a major focus through our classroom dog biscuit business. Each week, students bake a new batch, take orders, and fulfill previous orders. We love celebrating our happy canine—and even a few feline—customers on our classroom “Wall of Dogs.”

In preparation for the upcoming holidays, students have also been busy creating beaded pens to sell at our holiday sale, practicing fine motor skills, perseverance, and pride in their work.

As the season approaches, the students and staff of our classroom would like to wish everyone a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, kindness, and cheer.

December has been a busy and festive month, filled with hands-on learning, skill-building, and

joyful winter activities. As we wrap up the year, we wanted to share some of the wonderful things

our students have been working on.

This month, our students strengthened their fine motor skills through holiday-themed tasks such as

cutting, coloring, bead stringing, and using tweezers for small-object activities. These exercises

help build hand strength, coordination, and precision—important foundations for writing, self-care

skills, and classroom tasks.

We’ve also incorporated a variety of sensory activities to support regulation, attention, and

exploration. From textured art projects to scented playdough and winter-themed sensory bins,

students had opportunities to engage their senses in fun and meaningful ways. These experiences

help promote body awareness, emotional regulation, and readiness for learning.

One of the highlights of December was practicing multi-step directions while completing simple

recipes (Grinch popcorn, gingerbread houses, soap scrub bars to sell at the holiday sale). Cooking

activities are a great way to reinforce sequencing, safety awareness, and problem-solving, all while

supporting independence in activities of daily living. Students enjoyed measuring, mixing, pouring,

and of course tasting their creations!

As we head into the holiday break, we are grateful for the hard work and enthusiasm our students

bring to each session. We look forward to more growth, creativity, and fun in the new year.

Wishing all of our students and families a warm, safe, and happy holiday season!

Teachers shared meaningful Hanukkah traditions with both staff and students throughout the school. Ms. Aliza brought in doughnuts for the staff, while Ms. A played the dreidel with L.R. and Mr. T.J. Mr. Wasserman’s class created edible dreidels using Hershey Kisses, pretzels, and marshmallows. In addition, all classes completed a lesson on Hanukkah, helping students learn about and appreciate the holiday’s traditions.

The Westlake School Holiday Sing-Along was a joyful event that brought students, staff, and families together. Everyone sang holiday favorites such as Let It Snow, Jingle Bells, and Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, along with Westlake favorites like Sweet Caroline. The celebration ended with the beloved Westlake tradition of the 12 Days of Christmas. It was a fun and meaningful way to bring families together and celebrate the holiday season before winter break.

The Holiday Sale at the Commission was a huge success! We sold a variety of things - From mugs and hats, to custom key chains and bookmarks, chocolates and cards, jewelry, and more. The students did an excellent job and worked hard!

Website: www.ucesc.org/schools/westlake_school

Location: 1571 Lamberts Mill Rd, Westfield, NJ, USA

Phone: 908-232-4181

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